Getting to Know you…Jean Theuma

MATEFL

November 2016

Toilet Roll Game

Toilet Roll Game

• Ask the students to ‘take as much as they need’. Purposefully be as vague as possible about the use of the toilet paper.

• In small groups ask the students to tell each other as many facts and pieces of information about themselves as squares f toilet paper they have taken. Instruct them that they can talk about anything they think the others will find interesting about themselves.

• Round up the activity by asking each group to summarise what they talked about.

Why use Getting-to-Know-You activities?

• Ice-breakers are used when the ‘ice’ that needs breaking is…

• People’s perceptions of each other

• People’s worry about whether they will like each other

• People’s anxiety about whether they will fit in with the group (both as individuals and with their ability)

• People’s stress which might be centred around uncertainty about culture, status, backgrounds and outlooks to life

M&Ms Game

M&Ms Game

Speak for a minute on the topics below for each M&M of that colour:

Blue = your familyGreen = your course

Yellow = your countryRed = your hobbies

Brown = music & movies

Orange = your favourite food

Validating and easing communication

Things to think about when using GTKY activities:

• How will people be comfortable contributing?• How can we create a level playing field for people?• How will you create a common sense of purpose?

• https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_76.htm

Compass Points

Compass Points

• North - Burger King / South – Mac Donald’s

• West – fewer than 2 siblings / East – more than 2 siblings

• North – wine/ South – beer

• North – have visited more than 2 other countries / South – have visited fewer than 2 other countries

• West – have met a celebrity / East – have never met a celebrity

• West – get nervous during tests / East – don’t get nervous during tests

Changing the class dynamic

• EFL classrooms might not be like the traditional classrooms that our students are used to learning English in.

• In EFL classrooms, we tend to:• encourage communication• like the communication to be genuine• take the emphasis off errors and mistakes• concentrate on fluency over accuracy• be more student-centred

This is often a new or novel way of learning for our students - so GTKY activities set the scene for this.

Speed Dating

Speed Dating

1. If you could throw a party right now, who would it be for and why?

2. If you could choose to stay a certain age for the rest of your life, what age would it be and why?

3. If you could choose to witness any event past, present or future, what would it be and why?

4. If you could be any fictional character, who would you be and why?

5. If you were immortal for a day, what would you do?

6. If you had to change your first name, what would you change it to and why?

7. If you could paint a picture of scenery you’ve seen before, what would you paint and why?

http://www.humorthatworks.com/how-to/50-questions-to-get-to-know-someone/

Mix it up!

• GTKY activities can be done in pairs, small groups or whole classes.

• Usually the teacher does not play a big part in the activity, stepping in at the end to tidy up and round off, or demonstrating the activity at the beginning.

Desert Island

Desert Island

• Can be played in two ways:

• Option 1

• Tell your students that they are marooned on a desert island. They are allowed to bring 3 people with them – real, imaginary or dead. Who will they bring? Why? How will these people help to get off the island?

• In small groups the students should tell the others who they have ‘brought along’ and why.

• Round up by asking whether any interesting or unexpected people have been mentioned and how these people would help the situation.

Desert Island

• Option 2

• Tell your students that they are marooned on a desert island. They are allowed to bring ONE item who cannot be a person! What will they bring? Why? How will this item help to get off the island?

• In small groups the students should tell the others what they have ‘brought along’ and why. Can the group devise a strategy for getting off the island by using all the items?

• Round up by asking the groups what the escape plan was and how it involved the items people have brought with them.

Indirect discovery

• Choice enables us to be self determined instead of controlled. When controlled we lose the desire to initiate anything including learning. Choice then motivates us to learn because the desire to learn remains and is reinforced by the pleasure derived from learning.

• http://www.learning-knowledge.com/choices.html

• You can tell a lot about people by the choices they make.

Paper planes

Paper planes

• Give students a piece of A4 paper. • They write their name and 3 questions they would like someone else to ask

them about their life, studies or hobbies. • Students fold the paper into paper airplanes, which they throw across the

room. Allow a few minutes for students to pick up paper airplanes and throw them again at random.

• When instructed, the student should pick up the paper airplane nearest them (not their own) and find the owner. They should then ask them the questions on the paper. Make this relaxed and very informal.

• After 3 minutes, the students change partners so that the other person can find the owner of their paper plane and hold a 3 minute Q and A with them.

Thank you for listening